More Safari, for your Friday

Deep in thought.

"Fear knocked on the door and faith answered.  No one was there." 

- English Proverb

With less than a month left in ZA, facing my fears is something I've really been working at.  It's easy to coast through this life, to avoid stepping out of our comfort zone.  We fear the unknown and the possibility we'll fail.   And so we settle for less than our full potential, and we justify it with a million excuses.   But what we don't realize is that fear of failure IS failure - the fear that nags at you can trip you up and prevent you from taking action, everytime.  

Have faith.  This isn't necessarily about faith in a higher power (although that's important too).  It's more about having faith in yourself.  Faith in knowing that even if you go for it and it doesn't work out the way you planned, at least you're taking action.  It's about doing the right thing - doing awesome things that you'll feel awesome about, instead of settling for a mediocre existence because it's what you know.  

I had major fears about coming to South Africa - it seems all you hear about this place is the bad stuff: rampant racism & xenophobia, staggeringly high crime, poverty and AIDS statistics.  Leaving my cushy life in NYC to come here and bunk on the floor with a bunch of strangers for no pay seemed...well, scary.  But even though this experience has not been what I expected (and  sometimes it's been downright uncomfortable) it's been incredible nonetheless, and it's opened doors and removed barriers for me in ways I couldn't have predicted.  There are many fears I'm still struggling with here, and I'm definitely not always successful.  But the more fears you face, the more faith you have, and that's a lovely little cycle to get caught up in.

The father of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, said "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.  The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."  Sound advice from a man who has spent his entire life, including nearly three decades in prison, facing his fears.  He couldn't have done it without faith - in himself, his people, and their cause.  His faith freed a country. 

What could yours do?

Sunday Soccer Game in the Township

Player chasing horses from the field, mid-game.

Luyanda & Ro

Golden Gate National Park

Obligatory mountain top jump shot.

Sunset

Border Hoppin' in Basotho Blankies

"I don't think Paul's gonna make it." Rochelle says grimly.

I shake my head in disbelief, gaze straight ahead. Behind me, Sophie cries out in a strangled voice "What do you mean he's not gonna make it?! He can't die, not now!"

Paul is the 1980 Buick Centurion we borrowed from a friend. Our task was simple: drive three hours to the neighboring country of Lesotho, cross the border to extend our soon-to-be expired visas, and return home, with a sense of accomplishment and a new stamp in our passports.

It didn't exactly go as planned.

"Simple" was the word on my mind as we hovered at 16,000 feet, where Paul had sputtered to a halt on a 75 degree incline of the dubious Moteng Pass ("Moteng", I've since decided, is the Sotho word for Death). We had no phone reception, the sun was setting, and the nearest village was hours away. "This was supposed to be simple" I thought to myself, as I stared at the steep incline ahead of us, "how the heck did we get into this mess?".

Lesotho is a bit of an anomaly. Completely surrounded by South Africa, it has nevertheless managed to maintain its independence and completely avoid apartheid. Racism and segregation are not part of the vocabulary, and crossing the border is like stepping into a time-warp: horses outnumber cars, villages replace towns, and the Basotho people live simple lives as farmers and shepherds, swathed in their traditional dress of colorful woolen blankets.

Now, had we done any research before embarking on this journey, we might have known not to attempt Lesotho in a vehicle boasting -2 horsepower. But I've always been a "fly by the seat of your pants" type of gal, and in this instance, it was proving to be more of a weakness than a strength.

I'd like to say the story had a more dramatic ending, that we were rescued by a lusty herdsman and delivered to safety on the back of his noble steed. But no...fortunately, Paul decided life was worth living after all, and Ro is a pro with a stick shift. We got out of the pickle, found shelter for the night, and had a brief yet illustrious glimpse into the splendor that is Lesotho.

Writing from the safety of docile little Memel, I can look back on the 24 hours of terror and admit that it's one of the things I love most about traveling. You never know when the next adventure's going to happen, when a simple border run will turn into a memory you will laugh about for years to come. Travel challenges you and throws you off guard when you least expect it. And the reward is always worth your effort.

Oh! I forgot the best part. We were denied our visa extension. Next stop Zimbabwe?!?

Local bar

A shepherd boy waves from his perch amongst the cliffs.

Basotho huts on the mountain top

Woman gathering thatch in the field

Brooklyn, we roll hard.

Emy, Joey and Dan came to visit!

They came, they saw, they conquered.  Our credo was "Brooklyn, we roll hard!", and roll hard we did - whether it be through herds of wild elephants or herds of drunken Afrikaaners, we took Africa by storm.  They brought a little piece of home to ZA, and only reinforced my belief that no matter where I roam, I'll never find a group of peeps who can compare to my Brooklyn crew.

Love and miss you guys, and I'll be seeing y'all real soon.

Outdoor concert

Kickin' it on safari

Family portrait.

Pardon my absence, I've been away on...

SAFARI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know how sometimes, every great once in awhile, something so special and amazing comes along that it renders you absolutely unable to accurately sum it up?

Safari is one of those things.  

You gotta go.  Put it on the top of your life list, book your ticket, and get yourself one of those ridiculous hats.  

I'm not going to say a whole lot here - I know people are in it for the pictures : )  But I will say that it is mind-blowing to be so close to these animals in their natural habitat.  I spent the better part of a week with my jaw on the floor, utterly speechless out of awe and reverence.  I can't compare it to anything, and I wouldn't do it justice by describing it.  

Ya just gotta go.

P.S. - I took a boatload of pics, so I'll probably throw more up in coming weeks.  Below are some of my faves so far.  Enjoy!

Baby, Momma, Poppa

Blesbok

Mudfight!!!!

Full moon over Kruger Park as the lions lounge...

The watering hole.

Peek-a-boo.